Improvement in wire fences



cHARLnsFA. wAmtrInLn,` or rrrrsrmtn, MASSACHUSETTS.

Letters Patent No.-112,658, dated March 14. 1871.

The `Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom it may concern.- p

Beit known that I, CHARLES A. WAKEFIELD, of Pittseld, in the -countyof Berkshire and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in 4iVire Fences, ot' which the following is afull, clear, and exact description, reference being4 l setting or tighteningpius used at the one end of a i fence-section; and i Figure 4, an outside face view of the post in part which said Inns` in.

Similar letters of' reference indicate corresponding parts. p My invention consists in a combination, .with a weight fon holding the wires at a stretch at the one4 end of a fencesection, of a series of interposed yokes or levelers connected to operate uponthe principle of an elualiziugwhie-treqandwhereby a single weight may be made to hold the several wires at `a uniformI tension, with every freedom for the wires to adjust themselves to their normal lines when diverted therefrom by thrust; also, whereby the weight that strains on the wiresinay be arranged wholly above l ground, to act alike upon the lower as upon the upper wires,` p i u Y The invention also consists' in a combination of tightening or setting pins at the one end of a fencev section with a straining `weight or weights at the op posite end thereof, saidpins, to which the wires are attached at their one end, being made capable both of a turning and longitudinal motion in the post which carries them, and being formed with an angular shoulder whereby Vthey may be turned, and which, when the pins areforced inward, fits into an angular' recess in the post to lock the pins at their-set Referring to the accompanying drawingb bl b2 represent the posts; and

c, the top railing ofthe fence; land l el, its wires. i

These'wires, which pass freely through the intermediate posts b of 'eachlfence-section, are secured at their one end to tightening, or setting-pins c, that are fitted transversely through the one end post b, which is made `double or divided.`

Said pins `are mainlyof a rounded configuration, but with Vangular shoulders f at their one end, which shoulders fit withinsimilarly-shaped recesses g, `to hold the pins from turning after they have been adjusted to set the wires.; By'slightly drawing on the pins, to release these shoulders from their recesses, the pins may be turned to wind or unwind the wires upon them, as required, the shoulders j' serving for the application of a wrench for the purpose.

'lhe opposite ends ofthe wires d (l are subjected to the strainingaction of a weight or' weights, which,v while keeping the wires at a stretch, admit of their yielding to and recovering from any thrust thrown upon them to l'orcc them out ot' line, and which provide for the adjusting or setting of'v the wires by the pins 'e, free from any liability to breakage. lhese 'weights may be variously disposed for the purpose;

or a single weight, h, as shown in the drawing, may be made to pull upon the several, wires at their free ends-under the arrangement or crnnbination oi' parts which forms'the first part ot' this invention, and

which may be described as i'ollows:

The weight 11., which is here shown as arranged between the two posts bibi, at theone end of the fencesection, may eitherV be carried by a lever pivoted as at i, or be otherwise supported, as, for inst-ance, byV chains, wires, or cords and pulleys, or both sides ot' it,v so as to strain upon two lengths offence, or two fencesections, at the same time; but it is here only shown as pulling on the wires ofa single section by or through a chain, 7c, passing over a pulley, -Z, and attached to a main yoke, m, which is connected with a series ot' secondary yokes or levelers, n, arranged above and below the point of attachment ot' the chain L to the main yoke, and at equal or unequal distances from such point of attachment, according to the number of wires each'leveler is designed to pull upon, and which may be varied. Thus, when the one leveler n acts upon two wires, aud the 'other leveler Aa upon four, the distances of attachment to the yoke m from the chain It shouldbe as two to one.

Then each leveler u is arranged to 4pull upon but two-faires, then the latter may be connected direct to said levelers; but when arranged to draw upon more than two wires, as, for instance, four, then supplementary levelers fr r, connected to either Vprimary leveler n, may be used. This system otlevelers may be repeated or extended according to the number of wires it is required to connect for operation by a singie main yoke, m, the wholc'operating upon the same principle as that o f an equalizing Whittle-tree. By this combination ot' yokes and levelers a single weight maybe made to strain upon all ofthe wires in v the fence or lfence-section', and such weight be arranged wholly -above ground;V also, the most 'perfect stretch or hold of' `the wires is obtained, with every necessary freedom as regards their yielding to or re, covering from thrust tending` to force them ont of a' straight line. The uniform tension ofthe several wires isadjusted bytaking them up or letting them sind (tithe out till the levelers to which they are attached occupy a straight or right-angled position relatively to the wires. v v

What is here claimed, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, s.

their one end to a pendent weight or weights, of the adjusting-pins e, formed with an annular shoulder, .f, and the locking recess g in the pest within which said pins are fitted to turn and slide, essentially as described.

- GHAS. A. WA-KEFIELD.

Witnesses l FRED H'AYNES, FEED. TUSGH.' 

